Posts by splash

The Wage Subsidy Scheme, which offers private sector employers a subsidy to provide employment to people with disabilities, is to be expanded. A number of changes to the scheme have been announced following a review of the initiative. The scheme pays a minimum subsidy rate of €6.30 an hour to the employer, which can increase…

In any organisation, the ability to communicate effectively between departments is essential for success. However, one of the most challenging communication barriers to overcome lies between the finance and operations teams. While finance focuses on numbers, budgets, and financial health, operations are more concerned with the day-to-day functioning and production aspects of the business. At…

Household electricity bills could be set to rise by up to €8.42 a month over the coming year. The increase is the result of the energy regulator setting network charges for the period. The Commission for the Regulation of Utilities (CRU) said network charges are needed to enable ongoing investment to take place in the…

Preliminary figures from the Central Statistics Office show that average weekly earnings for the second quarter of 2024 reached €963.17, an increase of 5.6% or €51.43 compared with the same time last year. The CSO said that average weekly earnings rose across all 13 sectors in the year to the second quarter, with the largest…

Just over 5,300 mortgages were approved in July, the latest figures from Banking and Payments Federation Ireland show. First time buyers continue to drive the bulk of the activity, accounting for almost two thirds – 61.9% – of all approvals in the month. Just under a quarter of approvals were granted to those looking to…

In the world of business, debt is often viewed with a sense of caution, even trepidation. However, when managed strategically, debt can be a powerful tool for fuelling business growth. Far from being a burden, the right kind of debt can provide the capital necessary to expand operations, invest in innovation, and ultimately, achieve long-term…

Thousands of mortgage holders who have their loans with non-bank lenders could be set to be see their mortgage rates leap by as much as 3.5 percentage points later this year. The increase will come when their current low fixed rates come to an end and they are forced to choose from one of the…

More than four out of ten people did not make full use of their full holiday entitlements last year, according to new research on annual leave. The survey undertaken by FRS Recruitment shows that almost one in five people did not take five days of annual leave or more, which in business terms represents a…

Growing signs of lacklustre growth and risks emerging to the job market overshadowed a gathering of global policymakers at the US Federal Reserve’s annual Jackson Hole conference, highlighting the changing trajectory of monetary policy as US and European central banks eye cutting interest rates. Even as the focus of US and European central bankers shifts…

Almost a third of businesses in Ireland have money put aside to pay for ransoms arising from ransomware attacks, a new survey has found. Half of the firms surveyed admitted their defences had been breached by a ransomware attack in the last year. While more than half said they had fallen victim to social engineering…